


Weak At The Knees

by timeforteaaa



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fainting, Fluff, Graduation, M/M, Romance, Swearing, jongin panics ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25108543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeforteaaa/pseuds/timeforteaaa
Summary: What's the worst thing that could possibly happen at Graduation? Fainting on your long-time crush. That's what.
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 24
Kudos: 167
Collections: The GraduaXion





	Weak At The Knees

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much to everyone involved in this wonderful fest, especially my lovely Lizzie!   
> i desperately wish i could have produced something longer and better but my brain was like goo... i feel like an old classic hollywood era actress, looking wistfully at her past achievements and weeping "i'm past my prime darling... my days in the sun are over... now, the winter years." or something equally dramatic  
> very sorry to the gc for having to put up with me, and much love to you all. much love and thanks to my precious one for proofreading this for me last minute and trying to convince me that it's not awful and is in fact, a vague impersonation of a fic.   
> with this, i bid you farewell and hope you enjoy it. KAISOO FOREVER YEEEEHAAAAA!

By 12:35pm it’s looking like Kim Jongin’s graduation day will be the worst day of his life. 

It should be one of the happiest; it should be full of celebration that three years of hard work have paid off. 

And it _was_ pretty happy, as it happened - he’s had a great day so far, and it’s been so nice seeing all of his course mates, even though it probably will be the last time they’re all together in a while. 

It was all going so well. Too well, almost. Jongin should have seen the signs. He is _never_ this lucky. 

He’d been chosen to give a thank you speech on behalf of his classmates. It was a great honour, and Jongin was pretty well prepared - colour co-ordinated note cards and hours of practice. He was going to _do this_. 

That was until he passed out. On stage. In front of the Chancellor, his professors, and his entire year group. He’s not sure if he even made it to the podium. 

_Fuck_. His head hurts. 

That alone is bad enough. Surely the universe can’t have any more cruel tricks up its sleeve on this auspicious occasion. 

But as Jongin slowly resurfaces, lying on the stage, he realises that whoever has the little voodoo doll of himself isn’t calling it quits yet. 

Dread washes over Jongin’s body in a heavy wave. Someone is holding Jongin’s hand. Oh no. This is terrible. 

It’s someone with silky black hair, gorgeous doe eyes and thick, pouty lips. _Do Kyungsoo_. 

Jongin has been madly in love with him since the start of second year. He’s _gorgeous._ And now he’s lying here, passed out on stage, and Do Kyungsoo is holding his hand.

On the plus side, Sehun is with him, being an uncharacteristically good friend. He’s shaking his shoulder gently and calling his name. 

Professor Bae is also hovering above him, her pretty face looking worried despite the fact she appears upside down. “Jongin? Can you hear us?” 

Slightly less reassuringly, Taemin is cackling beside him. Jongin can sense there’s a phone camera held uncomfortably close to his face. Taemin is filming him. Well, at least that’s reassuringly normal. 

“Jongin-ah! Jongin-ah!” Taemin snorts. 

Professor Bae shoots him a glare. 

“Hey, at least I checked he was breathing before I started filming! I wouldn’t do it if I thought he wasn’t alright!” Taemin attempts to defend himself. 

Jongin manages a hoarse chuckle. It brings him odd comfort knowing that Taemin is treating this situation like he always would. 

Then Jongin remembers exactly where he is. He sit up as fast as he can, wincing as his head throbs. “What happened?” 

“You fainted and you fell on top of Kyungsoo,” Sehun says, looking so unnecessarily cheery that Jongin could slap him, “You’re lucky he’s strong because he caught you so you didn’t hit your head.” Such a morbid statement does not require such a broad grin. 

Professor Bae hands him a bottle of water and encourages him to drink. “Did you eat something today Jongin? It’s really hot in here.” 

Jongin blushes. “I was, erm— I was too nervous about the speech so I… may have skipped breakfast?” 

Several pairs of eyes scold him, but there’s one pair in particular that Jongin avoids looking at entirely. 

He takes the icy bottle of water from Professor Bae’s hands, and starts to drink it gratefully. Wow, he didn’t realise how thirsty he was. 

Then Jongin snaps to his senses halfway through a gulp of water and nearly chokes. He splutters, dribbling on Kyungsoo’s arm. “I’m still on the stage!” He stage-whispers, looking at Taemin in alarm, who is still tapping away on his phone and likely spreading images of Jongin’s bewildered face to half of the university. 

Now he thinks about it, he can hear the soft murmuring of the crowd. Oh _god_ can this be any more embarrassing. He looks at Kyungsoo in distress. 

Kyungsoo looks at him softly, and squeezes his arm, before addressing the rest of their little group. “I think we should take Jongin back stage. That way the ceremony can continue and he can get some rest.” He turns his eyes back to Jongin. “You can always give your speech at the end of the ceremony, if you feel well enough.” 

Jongin swallows thickly and nods. Kyungsoo taking on an efficient leadership role is, uh, _hot_. 

Sehun and Taemin heave him to his feet, and for a second the world goes blurry until he feels an arm steady him around his waist. 

Jongin feels his entire face flush red. He knows instinctively that it’s Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo has his arm round his waist. 

Professor Bae peers up at him in concern. “You’ve gone red, Jongin, do you feel like you might faint again?” 

“NO! No, I’m fine.” Jongin hurries out. He just wants to sit somewhere in a cool and quiet room and then disappear from this life, change his identity and never be seen again. Surely there’s always demand for isolated goat-herders who live up mountains and never have any human contact ever again? 

Professor Bae turns to Kyungsoo. “I’d like you to stay with him, Mr. Do. Keep an eye on him, and don’t hesitate to call me if he looks unwell.” With that, she turns briskly and chivvies Sehun and Taemin back to their seats. 

To truly top off this mortifying experience, the waiting crowds clap as Jongin hobbles off stage, leaning heavily on Kyungsoo. 

“Oh god why are they clapping? Are they trying to make this worse?” Jongin whines. 

Kyungsoo’s chuckle is low and soothing. “I think it’s supposed to make you feel better.” 

It’s not until they’re in the back corridors of the graduation venue when Jongin finally lets out his frustration in a horrid groan. “This is the worst day of my _life_.” 

Kyungsoo ushers him to a side room and lowers him on to a plush day bed. Jongin wonders if it would be weird to ask Kyungsoo to feed him grapes like he was some lavish-living Roman Emperor. 

He realises within about three seconds that that would be a _highly_ inappropriate request. He blushes again. 

“Are you _sure_ you’re alright? Professor Bae was right, you do look red.” 

Jongin laughs shakily, trying to disguise the panic in his eyes. “Ah, don’t worry about me. I feel fine now, just a little shocked, ha ha.” He still can’t quite meet Kyungsoo’s eyes. “But considering this is the _worst thing ever_ , I’m not doing too bad.” 

Kyungsoo laughs again and settles down beside Jongin on the floor, resting his back against the day bed. 

“Hey, don’t sit there. You’ll mess your suit up.” Jongin says. 

It’s a nice suit. A very nice suit. Kyungsoo looks rather delicious in it, but Jongin has gained enough of his faculties back to know that if asking for grapes is a no-go topic, commenting on Kyungsoo’s peachy behind is _definitely_ out of bounds. 

“Ah, this old thing. Don’t worry about it. I’m more worried about _you.”_

Jongin’s stomach flips. “Really?” He realises that sounds a bit desperate, but it’s too late now. 

Kyungsoo seems surprised. “Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?” 

Jongin, clearly a bit delirious, snorts. “Um, because you’re you? You’re Do Kyungsoo! Half the year has a crush on you! Half the university!” 

Kyungsoo frowns and laughs. “They do?” 

Jongin tries his best to sit up, but the plush cushions prevent him. “Yes! You’re the gorgeous guy who’s polite and kind and helpful and top of his class and sings like an angel! How could anyone not have a crush on you?” 

“Do you have a crush on me?” 

“Of _course_ I have a crush on y _—_ ” 

Jongin cuts himself off with a hand clapped across his mouth. _Fuck._ He should not have said that. Oh no, oh no, oh NO. 

Kyungsoo is looking at him and smiling. It’s a weird smile, and Jongin can’t quite read it, but it seems soft and almost… fond? 

“I have a crush on you, y’know.” Kyungsoo says, plainly and sincerely. “Since about the start of second year. I live with Yixing, from the dance team, did you know that?” (Jongin did in fact know that, given that he knows an unacceptable amount of information about Kyungsoo) “I come to all of his shows, and I’d always look forward to seeing you. The way you dance always took my breath away. And I thought you were terribly handsome, when I’d see you back stage. I thought you didn’t notice me at all though, even though you were always polite. I actually thought for the longest time you liked Sehun.” 

“You thought I liked _SEHUN_!?” Jongin splutters. 

“Well… yeah? You always stared at him whenever I was there.” 

Jongin sinks his headin his hands. What he isn’t going to confess is that he stares at Sehun in Kyungsoo’s presence because it’s the one way he can keep a boner down. God, he is an embarrassing example of humanity. 

“Hey, if you like me we should go on a date sometime.” 

“You’re asking me on a date?!” Jongin squeaks. 

“Yeah? Sorry am I doing this wrong. Should I not ask you on a date?” Kyungsoo is ridiculously straightforward and to the point and Jongin isn’t sure his heart can take it. 

“No we should definitely go on a date. Definitely.” Jongin thinks he probably is feeling a little faint. 

Kyungsoo smiles at him softly. “Good. I’m happy. You like chicken, right? My friend works at this place that does the best friend chicken I’ve ever tasted. They’re having a special tasting night next week.

There’s a warm glow in Jongin’s chest. Chicken _and_ Kyungsoo, all in one night? He takes back everything he said about someone having something against him today. 

They fall in to companionable silence for a while, with Jongin sipping tentatively at a bottle of water and Kyungsoo humming little tunes. 

“I thought this was the worst day of my life.” Jongin hums, mostly to himself. “Looks like it’s maybe not.” 

He thinks Kyungsoo isn’t going to respond, until he pipes up with, “Hey, to be honest passing out on stage isn’t that bad. When I was seven I did my first singing show, and I drank seventeen fruit shoots beforehand, and then I did the biggest wee of my life on stage.” 

Jongin laughs so hard water shoots out of his nose. 


End file.
